EWA Cohort on Special Education
EWA is offering a free online community for reporters interested in improving their special education coverage. Apply by Jan. 28.
Photo credit: Rido81/Bigstock
Covering special education has become even more important this school year. The Trump administration has gutted the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Disability complaints have typically made up the majority of OCR’s cases, coming second only to sex discrimination in fiscal year 2024. In addition, staffing in the federal Office of Special Education Programs has gone through major disruptions, and it remains unclear if that office will be moved to another federal department.
Meanwhile, students receiving special education services and families who are seeking them for their children often face obstacles at the local and state levels.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law enacted in 1990, requires public schools to provide Free Appropriate Public Education to all eligible students with disabilities. But systemic issues, including ableism and understaffing, continue to create barriers for students determined to need those services.
To help reporters learn more about how to cover special education, something many disability advocates call “accessible education,” the Education Writers Association invites journalist members to apply for its Cohort on Special Education. (EWA journalist membership is free.)
From February through March, participants will meet bi-weekly to build their knowledge about special education, including:
- The history and language of special education
- How new federal policies impact special education
- How to source stories and explain the role of parents, students and advocates in dispute practices
- Intersectional barriers, such as geography, race and gender, in special education
Journalists will meet and learn from experts, educators and their peers. Above all, the goal is for participants to come away inspired, informed and better prepared to produce compelling coverage on accessible education and disability accommodations.
The cohort will meet at 2 p.m. Eastern on the following dates: Feb. 11, Feb. 25, March 11 and March 25.
The deadline to apply for this cohort is Wednesday, Jan. 28.
